United States Constitution

1. United States Constitution SSUSH5 The student will explain specific events and key ideas that brought about the adoption and implementation of the United States Constitution.

2. What was the Articles of Confederation? • A system of government used in the United States from 1781 to 1788 • A confederation is a loose association of states for defensive purposes

3. Structure of the A of C • Rules the state, not the citizens within the states • Powers: Make treaties, declare war, borrow money • One house legislature, each with one vote • No executive branch to enforce laws • No judicial branch to settle disputes • High majority to pass laws (9 out of 13)

4. Weaknesses of the A of C • No money and no power to force taxation • No power to coin money • No power over state governments or their citizens • Unenforceable trade agreements • Unable to regulate competition between states • No way to protect the people’s rights • Coastal states had to defend against pirates and smugglers with their own ships

5. Shay’s Rebellion: • Wealthy people loaned the government money to fight the war. They wanted these loans to be repaid. • Massachusetts raised taxes to pay. • Farmers were hit hard by these taxes. The taxes reminded them of British taxes that helped cause the Revolution. Farmers unable to pay were foreclosed on and debtors sent to prison.

6. Shay’s Rebellion • Daniel Shay led a rebellion of approximately 1000 followers marching on the debtor courts and made it impossible for tax-collectors to do their jobs. • Daniel Shays and his small army went to an arsenal. • Congress had no money to raise an army. The state gathered an army (militia) but this took six months. • Shay and his officers were arrested and sentenced to death but appealed the sentence and eventually regained his freedom.

7. Effects of the Rebellion • Citizens learned they could defy the government when it acted against the people’s wishes. • Prominent Americans saw that steps had to be taken to strengthen the national government and avoid civil unrest. • No money, no guns, no security– Lesson learned • May 1787 the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to decide what had to be done with the government.

8. Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia • May 1787 • Delegates met to decide the fate of our government– some wanted to just revise the Articles, others had much bigger plans • Two groups emerged among the delegates– Anti-Federalists v. Federalists • James Madison • Spent one year thinking about how to create a new government. • Is called the “Father of the Constitution”

9. Federalists • Led by Alexander Hamilton • Believed: • A strong federal government would protect all people, not just the most powerful. • The federal government should have more power than the state governments. • Ordinary people cannot be trusted to govern themselves wisely; an aristocratic, well-educated few should govern. • The Constitution should be loosely interpreted (what it says could have several different meanings) • The debt from the Revolutionary War should be paid so that the new nation will have good credit. • The United States should have a strong defense and stay out of Europe’s affairs.

10. Anti-federalists • Led by Thomas Jefferson • Believed: • A strong central government poses dangers to individual liberty. • State government should have more power than the federal government. • Ordinary people, if educated can govern themselves. • The Constitution should be strictly interpreted (it means exactly what it says and nothing more) • The debt for the Revolutionary War should not be paid; an old government that no longer existed (under the Articles of Confederation) had contracted the debt and the new government was not responsible.

11. Two Plans for a New Government • Virginia Plan • Bicameral (two house) national legislature • Each state sends representatives based on the population of the state for the lower house • New Jersey Plan • Unicameral (one house) national legislature and the creation of the executive and judicial branches • Each state sends the same number of representatives

12. The Great Compromise • Also known as the Connecticut Compromise • Created a bicameral (2 house) legislature • Senate: the same number of representatives from each state • House of Representatives: Representation based on state population • Three Fifths Compromise- determined how to count slaves in a state’s population. Three-fifth’s of a state’s slave population would be counted when determining representation. • The convention approved the final draft of the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

13. Ratification & the Federalist Papers • Federalists launched a publicity campaign to convince New York to ratify (governor was strongly opposed) • Writing under the name Plubius, Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay published 85 essays known as the Federalists Papers • Anti-Federalists fired back writing under names such as Brutus & Farmer • More important today than at the time because of the insight they give us into the mindset of the men who penned the Constitution • Inclusion of the Bill of Rights (a key Anti-Federalist demand) tipped the scales in favor of ratification • Fall of 1789 Washington is elected President • 1790 the last state (Rhode Island) ratified the new Constitution

14. Federal System of Government • Power is shared between state and national authorities • Some powers are reserved only for states. • Others are delegated to the federal government only • Still others, concurrent powers, are held by both the federal government and state governments

15. Separation of Federal Powers • Created to prevent any one of the three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) from acquiring too much power. • Each branch has its own area of authority, but no one branch has complete power over the government. • The constitution also set up a system of checks and balances, in which each branch has the power to check, or stop, the other branches in certain ways to prevent the misuse of power by any one branch. • The idea of separation of powers was written about by Baron Montesquieu in his 1748 book, The Spirit of the Laws. He outlined a three way division of powers in England. • John Locke, Montesquieu, and other writers saw the concept of the separation of powers as a way to reduce or eliminate the arbitrary power of unchecked rulers.

16. Congress: Legislative Branch • Makes the Law • Two houses elected by the citizens of the state

17. The President: Executive Branch • Carries out the law • The Electoral College (group of electors) determines the President. • Power to veto acts of Congress and appoints judges for the federal courts

18. The Federal Courts: the Judicial Branch • Interpret the law • Contains the Supreme Court and several lesser courts • Supreme Court justices are appointed for life by the President with the consent of the Senate.

19. Party Affiliation: Federalist

20. Whiskey rebellion • A new tax placed on whiskey • Hurt farmers because this was their main source of income (corn growers) • Protestors in Pennsylvania refused to pay the tax and threatened to secede from the union • Washington and Hamilton sent an army to end the rebellion • **Showed the US was committed to enforcing its laws

21. Foreign policy during the French revolution • The Neutrality Proclamation: a statement made that took a position of neutrality toward the war between France and Great Britain • US remained neutral and Britain and France seized US ships and sailors • US sent John Jay to work out a treaty • Jay’s Treaty was negotiated between the US and Britain… British evacuated their posts in the Northwest Territory

22. Hamilton & Jefferson: the birth of political parties • Alexander Hamilton: • Federalists... Strong central government led by upper class citizens • Secretary of the Treasury • Supported a friendly relationship with the British • Assumption Bill: Federal government would assume the war debts of the states… to be equally shared

23. Thomas Jefferson • Anti Federalist… strong state and local governments, national government with limited power, all citizens to participate • Secretary of State • Supported a friendly relationship with the French • Believed that each state should be responsible for their own war debt

24. The birth of political parties • The beliefs of Hamilton and Jefferson grew into the first political parties of the U.S. • Those who supported the views of Hamilton were called Federalists • Those who supported the views of Jefferson were called the Democratic-Republicans

25. Washington’s farewell address • Due to continued fighting between Hamilton and Jefferson, Washington decided not to run for a third term. • In his farewell address he urged the nation to: • Not become involved in affairs of other countries where we have no business • Stay away from political parties

26. John Adams • 2nd President • 1797- 1801 • Party Affiliation: Federalist

27. John Adams • Election of 1796: Adams v. Jefferson • Adams won the electoral vote and became President • Based on the Constitution, Jefferson became Vice President because he came in second place • The nation had a Federalist President and a Democratic-Republican Vice President

28. Adams: xyz affair • France did not like Jay’s Treaty and wouldn’t talk to the US ambassador and seized US cargo ships • Americans went to talk to the French and were forced to speak with 3 low level officials: XYZ • France wanted a bribe to speak with Napoleon • Provoked anti-French feelings US Navy seized French ships • Adams wouldn’t declare war and it hurt him in the next election

29. Adams: alien & sedition acts • Adams did not like the Democratic-Republicans (gaining strength) and felt they were a danger to the country since many were immigrants • Naturalization Act: raised the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 14 years • Aliens Act: allowed the president to deport or jail any alien considered “undesirable” • Sedition Act: set fines and jail terms for anyone expressing opinions considered damaging to the government